The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-09
stockings, etc. His uncle, John Strawn,

previously, In 1923, had visited Round
Prairie, east of where Lacon, Marshall
county, In this state, now stands, and per
tectly captivated with the grand prairies of
Illinois, ready for the farmers pillow with.
out the herculean task of grubbing, had de.
termined to abandon OHIO, for the Illinois
river valley, Accordingly he had procured
an immense movers wagon, almost n house
on wheels, known as the "Pennsylvania
wagon" The wheels were immense and
mad wide tires and tracked very wide and
the hind wheels were six feet high. The
box was pane.ed, sloping upward In front
and rear and guadily painted. The box
was 50 high that they used five round
ladder to climb into it. II was drawn by a
six.horse team. The harness had broad
back bands twelve inches In width, tugs
deliberately gotten up, brides, housings on
the names, surmounted by bow, to which
was suspended a row of silver bells-in all
the most gorgeous outfit. The box held
nearly modern carload of goods, and
when laden with Its human and other
freight, under cover Of canvass, 1t became
gorgeous spectacle, and known as the
"Prairie Schooner" John S. was to &C
company his uncle John on the journey
and Joined him at Newark and travelled
with him one day, but 1t was discovered
that for the want of roads and bridges, the
caravan" could move but slowly--that it
might not reach its destination in six
months instead of month or six weeks, as
was calculated; and as the boy had good
! animal to ride and was eager for the jour
ney 1t WAS consented that he might go on
alone His uncle gave him minute in
IstructioHs of the route, how far to 60 each
day and with whom to stop; made him re-
peat all the instructions and wrote them
out at length on piece of paper, and thus
provided, young John started from one
days journey--a few miles west of New
ark, Ohio, for Crow creek, illinois, dis
lance by the route he took of about 600
miles across wilderness of forests In Ohio
and Indiana and hundred miles of the
trackless prairies of Illinois. All the
northern part of this state then was In
Tazewell county. Through Ohio and
eastern Indiana there were bride paths
and now aud then wagon tracks from tav'
ern to tavern, settlement to settlement.
Young, strong and ambitious and mounted
on splendid and nimble footed mare, and
being but light load, she carried him so
60, 70 miles a day aid seemed scarcely
wearied, nor did he suffer Inconvenience
from the journey. His uncle's directions
enabled him to lind his way readily, but
even without them he could have gone on
safely. 1t was not till he struck the wild
prairies that he was ever at fault The
"land marks such as those which abound
in the timbered regions, forsOok him. In
the woods the tracks could not we'll be
abandoned, for one could not easily lose
them, but the horsemen on the prairie
found them dlverging everywhere or lost
sight of them entirely. Sometimes he
was out of sight OF the world in sea of tall
grass, then emerging on hill, or roll OF
the prairie, could see around him not q
tree or an object in any direction, save 9th
ers rolls or knobs of prairie, and bound
less ocean of waving grass. He was often
many hours at time as completely tout OF
sight of land as a mariner at sea-" He was
sent from grove to grove, with his horses
head always to the west, and he soon learn
ed to keep the point OF the compass with
tolerable accuracy by the position of the
sun. He had not much ready money, in
fact that was the particular article of which
he was in pursuit. That was why he was
going west, so he resolved to hire to the
first farmer who might need "a hand"
After several days riding arcoss the prai-
ries he arrived at Dorsey's Grove, east of
Bloomington, then Bloomington Grove.
He promptly offered to hire out, but they
objected to him for two to him, as aston
ishing reasons; first, he was too small phys
ically, and secondly he was too we'll fixed.
And suspicious glances were cast upon his
outfit, and though he told a straight and
consistent story, he was evidently looked
upon as young gentleman of doubtful char
acter. But happily for his pride, and as
the result of his natural unsuspecting traits
of mind, he did not then know that he was
suspected of anything wrong. He went
on and
CAME NEAR BEING ARRESTED
at Walnut Grove. His refusal of work at
the former place puzzled him. He could
not see how his want of size could be any
serious objection, because at most sorts OF
employment, being unusually strong for his
age he knew that he could do more than
the average mans work, and would be con-
tent to be paid for what he was fairly
worth, and as to the fine horse and equip
ments, he would sell them. Somehow he
took it into his inexperienced boyish head
that failure was was due to his not having